This invention relates generally to a packing apparatus and method for packing pouches or other flexible containers, and more particularly to a packing machine for packing a plurality of groups of pouches into a box and inserting a shelf between the groups of pouches.
Flexible pouches, formed by crimping and sealing the ends of a tubular section of cellophane, plastic wrap, or foil, are used to prepare such items as nuts, candies, potato chips, other snack foods and a variety of other discrete items for sale to the individual consumer. The advantages of these pouches include lighter weight, lower cost and ease of filling.
Packing boxes or cases with these flexible, irregularly-shaped pouches for shipment so as to avoid crushing the contents of the pouches and still make efficient use of space has proven to be difficult. When a box is fully packed with pouches, the group of pouches in the bottom portion of the box are deformed by the weight of the pouches in the top portion of the box. The deformation of the pouches causes the contents of the pouches in the lower portion of the box to become crushed.
Since the weight of the group of pouches in the top portion of a box causes a majority of the deformation of the group of pouches in the bottom portion of the box, it is desirable to support the pouches in the top portion of the box with a shelf dividing the box substantially in half. Even though a shelf can solve the problem of deformation of the pouches in the lower portion of a box, placing a shelf into a box between the top group of pouches and the bottom group of pouches has inherent problems. One problem is that the insertion of a shelf is normally done manually. Manual insertion of a shelf slows the packing process and thereby increases the expense of the packing process. Another problem is supporting the shelf between the bottom group of pouches and the top group of pouches. Normally a substantially X-shaped or Z-shaped spacer is manually placed between the bottom group of pouches and top group of pouches. The spacer supports the shelf above the bottom group of pouches. The use of a spacer causes further problems in that the pouches must normally be manually packed around the spacer before the shelf is rested upon the spacer. In addition, boxes are normally packed with the top sealed and the bottom open and the use of a spacer makes this type of packing difficult.